For the second year, the Jewish Agency and the Genesis Philanthropy Group are running 2 international camps for Russian-speaking youth here in Israel. The project, initiated by Natan Sharansky, is called ‘Rimon’, and brings together 240 youths aged 13-17 from the FSU, the U.S. and Israel for two week camp programs being held at the Givat Haviva educational campus near Hadera and Kibbutz Nordiya.

The goal of the camp programs is to strengthen the campers’ Jewish identity and connection to Israel. The camps include trips around the country, meetings with Israeli cultural figures, and workshops on theater, photography, and communications – all with a theme of exploring and strengthening Jewish identity.

According to Rina Gerber, manager of the Ma.com program taking place at Nordiya, “Our primary objective, first and foremost, is to create a meeting point for Russian-speaking Jews from abroad with Russian-speaking youth in Israel. But the camp also provides the space and framework for the children to express what their Jewish identity means to them, especially the Israelis who otherwise don’t have the opportunity to discuss such issues.”

images: Sasson Tiram

You can read about other summer camp programs geared to the Russian-Jewish community here.